Lunin to Begin for Real Madrid Despite Kepa’s Arrival, Confirms Ancelotti

Andriy Lunin will maintain his position as the goalkeeper for Real Madrid this weekend, despite Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan move from Chelsea, according to coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Lunin, a Ukrainian player, showcased his abilities in Real’s 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the opening game of the La Liga season. This opportunity arose after Thibaut Courtois, the first-choice goalkeeper, sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during training and will be sidelined for most of the campaign.

Earlier, Ancelotti expressed his faith in Lunin despite his lack of experience, but now has the addition of Arrizabalaga until the end of the season.

“Kepa is adapting very well. The first week of work has demonstrated what we already knew – he possesses a lot of quality and personality. Tomorrow, we will continue with Lunin who performed admirably in Bilbao, and in the upcoming games, we’ll assess the situation,” said Ancelotti during a pre-match press conference before Saturday’s match against Almeria.

Real Madrid has bolstered their squad in order to compete for both the La Liga and Champions League titles, after missing out on both championships last season. In the previous game against Bilbao, veteran midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos only made appearances as second-half substitutes.

Ancelotti concurred with remarks made by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola this week, criticizing the demanding schedule.

“They attempt to enhance the quality of the spectacle by scheduling more matches – however, to truly improve quality, the quantity must be reduced,” stated the Italian coach.

“Their aim is to increase revenue by adding more matches. Instead, they should reduce the number of matches to improve quality. The players are the most affected as they endure more injuries and struggle to display their true level of quality.”